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Leonard Tabbed to Davey O’Brien Award Preseason Watch List
8/8/2023 12:00:00 PM | Football
DURHAM – Duke junior quarterback Riley Leonard has been selected to the preseason watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award, presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback.
This is Leonard's second preseason watch list selection as he was also tabbed to the Maxwell Award watch list last week.
Leonard returns for his second campaign as Duke's starting quarterback and was tabbed a team captain for the upcoming season. In 20 career games (14 starts), he has completed 287-of-454 (.632) passes for 3,348 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He owns a career pass efficiency rating of 137.35. On the ground, Leonard has rushed 171 times for 872 yards (5.09) and 15 touchdowns.
He opens the 2023 campaign as one of three returning FBS quarterbacks nationally to amass 2,900-plus passing yards and 695-plus rushing yards a season ago, joining LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye. Additionally, he is one of two returning FBS quarterbacks nationally to register 20-plus passing and 13-plus rushing touchdowns last year, joining Oregon's Bo Nix. Leonard, a 6-4, 212-pound native of Fairhope, Ala., was named a 2022 honorable mention All-ACC selection after ranking third in the league in total offensive yards per game (282.00), third in pass attempts (392), third in pass completions (25), third in total points responsible for (198), tied for third in scoring (78), fourth in pass completion percentage (.638), fourth in passing yards per game (228.23), fifth in touchdown passes (20), and fifth in passing efficiency (141.11).
The leader of a multifaceted offense, Leonard was a big contributor to the Blue Devils' ground game, joining Jordan Waters (566), Jaquez Moore (508), and Jaylen Coleman (480) to form the first quartet in Duke history to post 400-plus rushing yards each in a single-season. Additionally, Leonard coupled with Waters (8), Ja. Moore (5), and Coleman (4) formed the first foursome in Blue Devil history to compile four-plus rushing touchdowns apiece in a single-season.
The official Davey O'Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and will contain all active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, all players honored as a weekly Great 8 recipient through the season's first seven weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee. The Midseason Watch List will then be pared down to the 35-player Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2023 on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later (Tuesday, Nov. 21). The 2023 Davey O'Brien Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 7, during The Home Depot College Football Awards. The 47th Annual Davey O'Brien Awards dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Season and single-game tickets as well as mini plans for the 2023 campaign are now available by visiting GoDuke.com/footballtix.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils football, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeFootball".
Duke Players on 2023 NCFAA Watch Lists
Maxwell Award: Riley Leonard
Outland Trophy: Graham Barton
Bronko Nagurski Trophy: DeWayne Carter
Ray Guy Award: Porter Wilson
Wuerffel Trophy: Ja'Mion Franklin
Paul Hornung Award: Jaylen Stinson
Rimington Trophy: Jacob Monk
Biletnikoff Trophy: Jalon Calhoun
Davey O'Brien Award: Riley Leonard
#GoDuke
This is Leonard's second preseason watch list selection as he was also tabbed to the Maxwell Award watch list last week.
Leonard returns for his second campaign as Duke's starting quarterback and was tabbed a team captain for the upcoming season. In 20 career games (14 starts), he has completed 287-of-454 (.632) passes for 3,348 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He owns a career pass efficiency rating of 137.35. On the ground, Leonard has rushed 171 times for 872 yards (5.09) and 15 touchdowns.
He opens the 2023 campaign as one of three returning FBS quarterbacks nationally to amass 2,900-plus passing yards and 695-plus rushing yards a season ago, joining LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye. Additionally, he is one of two returning FBS quarterbacks nationally to register 20-plus passing and 13-plus rushing touchdowns last year, joining Oregon's Bo Nix. Leonard, a 6-4, 212-pound native of Fairhope, Ala., was named a 2022 honorable mention All-ACC selection after ranking third in the league in total offensive yards per game (282.00), third in pass attempts (392), third in pass completions (25), third in total points responsible for (198), tied for third in scoring (78), fourth in pass completion percentage (.638), fourth in passing yards per game (228.23), fifth in touchdown passes (20), and fifth in passing efficiency (141.11).
The leader of a multifaceted offense, Leonard was a big contributor to the Blue Devils' ground game, joining Jordan Waters (566), Jaquez Moore (508), and Jaylen Coleman (480) to form the first quartet in Duke history to post 400-plus rushing yards each in a single-season. Additionally, Leonard coupled with Waters (8), Ja. Moore (5), and Coleman (4) formed the first foursome in Blue Devil history to compile four-plus rushing touchdowns apiece in a single-season.
The official Davey O'Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and will contain all active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, all players honored as a weekly Great 8 recipient through the season's first seven weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee. The Midseason Watch List will then be pared down to the 35-player Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2023 on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later (Tuesday, Nov. 21). The 2023 Davey O'Brien Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 7, during The Home Depot College Football Awards. The 47th Annual Davey O'Brien Awards dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Season and single-game tickets as well as mini plans for the 2023 campaign are now available by visiting GoDuke.com/footballtix.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils football, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeFootball".
Duke Players on 2023 NCFAA Watch Lists
Maxwell Award: Riley Leonard
Outland Trophy: Graham Barton
Bronko Nagurski Trophy: DeWayne Carter
Ray Guy Award: Porter Wilson
Wuerffel Trophy: Ja'Mion Franklin
Paul Hornung Award: Jaylen Stinson
Rimington Trophy: Jacob Monk
Biletnikoff Trophy: Jalon Calhoun
Davey O'Brien Award: Riley Leonard
#GoDuke
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